~ Just another blog to express my views

PLASTIC OR NO PLASTIC: IS WHAT THE QUESTION IS….

Recently in the Kingdom of Bahrain started a debate on how environmental friendly are the jute/cloth bags over the plastic bags which are injurious not only to our nature but even our little ones. Well! It was not actually a debate rather an effort by some of the popular malls and joints in the country to introduce environmental friendly bags to the customers.

And so with much enthusiasm in their hearts to do their bid for their country, the malls started a major campaign of promoting the reusable jute/cloth bags. Management used every advertising media available to them for the purpose. They even conducted a small survey asking them about their preferences and whether they also wanted to protect their environment. They also set a deadline after which these malls will start charging every plastic bag they gave to the customers.

However, suddenly the idea was shelved. Why? Because the high handed customers were not ready to pay for what they have been getting free. They were ready for low quality plastic bags for which they didn’t have to pay but they were not at all ready for jute/cloth reusable bags which are environmental friendly. And that’s why the malls had to shelve the idea for better or worse. Their argument they didn’t want to lose their customers.

But it was customers like me who were baffled by the response of our fellow citizens and their refusal to change their habits all because they had to part with some of their money.

I was actually surprised to hear the comments of one such person (lets call him Mr A) who said instead of government asking us not to use plastic bags why don’t they plan a recycling unit (I will write about this in a separate piece) and tell us to use as many plastic bags as we can. This was from an educated and senior person and in a senior position too in one of the leading dailies of the country. I wondered if this was the thought process of this educated person what could I expect from people who are business minded and are only concern about their needs however selfish they may be.

There was one customer who suggested the malls to have biodegradable big brown bags with the mall logo on them. Unfortunately this sensible customer forgot that in order to make these ‘biodegradable brown paper bags’ trees need to be cut and in a desert country where there are hardly any trees what is this person suggesting.

So there went the idea of going green and using the reusable bags. Till the time the malls come up with some intelligent idea to beat the high handed customers I think there will be no successful green drive in this country.